Step back in time to the gritty 1970s and 80s, where Manchester City’s Maine Road was more than just a football stadium – it was a battleground for intense fan rivalries. In this video, a former City hooligan opens up about life as part of the notorious “Cool Cats” and then the “Guvnors,” defending their turf and navigating the chaotic world of football hooliganism.
Join us as we explore the loyalty, pride, and high-stakes skirmishes that defined Maine Road during this unforgettable era of English football. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell to dive into more stories from the history of football fan culture!
You may be interested in these books by Author Paul Gratis.
21 Toughest British Hooligan Firms Ever! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B7FF6Y7C
Worst Crowd Trouble Ever Seen At Major British Football Grounds Revealed : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09RN43WCP
30 Greatest Football Rivalries In Britain : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BKLV4BGZ
60 GREATEST FOOTBALL FEUDS IN RECENT HISTORY: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BVBS3RWT
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24 Comments
Got nicked twice there early 80's,lovely place it was ! F.E.C !
Don't care what anybody says, Maine Road was one of the toughest away games of the season back in the day.
As a Chelsea fan i ended up in the home end right behind the goal one year. It was all seats by then i think so probably early to mid 90s…My brother in law had got us tickets and didnt say they were in the home end. When Chelsea scored it was apparent we werent the only ones…probably a hundred maybe more dotted around…not in firms and not really seeking trouble…most were escorted out and into the away end…we asked a copper if we could go to the other end and he said no you have to stay…the City fans around us were no trouble and we stayed the rest of the game…could have been worse…anyway fair play to all you City fans, i quite liked City back in the days of Francis Lee and Colin Bell but i was only very young then…
💚💛❤️NOTHING LIKE THE YOUNG GUVNORS..POW💚💛❤️
I was also at Maine Road March 1989 as Chelsea won 3-2 and City were awarded a penalty for no apparent reason (yes it happened even in them days lol)…have a look at the video thats available…massive Chelsea firm there that day as was the case throughtout the period….no trouble as i remember it…The most disappointing time against Man City was in the Full Members Cup Final in 1986 when there was a crowd of 67236 and in all honesty City never showed as 60000 of the crowd were Chelsea, a full half of the ground and a percentage of the other half…Wembley was still 100000 capacity then…Chelsea fans just kept coming in so the real figure for the crowd was unknown and thousands were led round the pitch to pack out the city end as well as ours…god knows what would have happened if City had brought numbers…but i never saw any beef between our 2 clubs…fair play to us all from the good old days
City NEVER showed at Everton in the era this guys on about,not like United who came by the thousands, to be honest city were never rated as a firm in Liverpool
Operation Omega only arrested 16 fans
coming up from london, man.u was shit, city we looked forward to city, proper inna city biz, but yea on top if you got lost, or split up for sure !!
what happened 73,brum took your end.
I remember going in the 80s when Man Utd won 3 nil and there was loads of Utd in the kippax taking it to city and city couldn’t do anything. Before the game we were in a pub with the Utd mob when some black lads from city turned up and got smashed. Manchester is RED. 🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪❤️🤍🖤
Ex city hooligan who. Doesnt mention utd once probably because they took over half the ground and u were concussed.apart from the arthur albilston testimonial at ot no one seen them for 20 years.
City was easy pickings in the eighties for Liverpool and Everton,United was always a battle,good times before cctv took over.as a scouser manchester is red and it always will be.
Went three times with Leeds in the 70s & 80s and ended up getting "slapped around" three times. Not the kind of hat-trick you wanted. Maine Road was a rough old place back in the day and not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure.
Let's face it ….. Millwall were the original 'no quarter given ' …. they were the real deal, the ones that all tried to emulate. Especially at the Old Den.
Stockport are the main firm in Manchester 💯
Kippax st was on the side not an end .notice how much the "massive' word is used the derby never mentioned
Nobody’s trying to be somebody’s!!!!
The Toffees danced through Manchester in the late 70s early 80s, we kissed your girls and took your money, and then gave you a damn good thrashing. As you well know.
Your welcome.
Ps. Great days.
So this kid has been going city since the 60s and reckons the rivalry with leeds started in 1985 😂
Try the 1970 charity shield when hundreds of Man Utd travelled with city to Elland road to have a go at leeds.
Or even the infamous 70s FA cup game at Elland road, its even on youtube to watch.
Poor video again.
Went with Newcastle plenty times from 83 onwards…!!! Plenty game lads at city when needed…..They got a nice welcome at st james, 50 NME lads went in their end. Im sure you can all do the maths lads….!
Thanks for the memories
WANKER , CITY WERE SHIT AS WELL, YOU HAD A SHIT CHILDHOOD,,,,,,,,,,, I LOVE FOOTBALL
They never had a firm in the 70s 80s 😂
Mickey 'Don' Francis. The Guv'nor
They definitely wouldn’t of took the Boro!